Printing plate fastening apparatus for a rolling press



MASUMI EDA ETAL 3,308,755 PRINTING PLATE FASTENING APP March 14, 1967ARATUS FOR A ROLLING PRESS 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 5, 1964 March 14,1967 MASUMI EDA ETAL 3,308,755

PRINTING PLATE FASTENING APPARA TUS FOR A ROLLING PRESS 7 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed 06%.. 5, 1964 March 14, 1967 MASUMI EDA ETAL 3,308,755

PRINTING PLATE FASTENING APPARATUS FOR A ROLLING PRESS 7 Sheets-Sheet 3Filed 001:. 5, 1964 March 14, 1967 MASUMI EDA AL 3,308,755

PRINTING PLATE FASTENI APPARATUS FOR A ROLLING PRESS Filed Oct. 5, 19647 Sheets-Sheet 4 arch 1967 MASUMI EDA ETAL PRINTING PLATE FASTENINGAPPARATUS FOR A ROLLING PRESS 7 Sheet 5 March 14, 1967 MASUMI EDA ETAL3,308,755

PRINTING PLATE FASTENING APPARATUS FOR A ROLLING PRESS 7 Shee'ts-Sheet 6Filed Oct. 5, 1964 Innll 4 March 14, 1967 MASUMI EDA ETAL 3,308,755

PRINTING PLATE FASTENING APPARATUS FOR A ROLLING PRESS 7 Sheets-Sheet 7Filed Oct. 5, 1964 FIG. H

3,308,755 PRINTING PLATE FASTENING APPARATUS FOR A ROLLING PRESS MasumiEda, 3 7-chon1e, Den-enchofu, Tokyo, Japan, Yuji Fujishiro, 7 l-chome,FukazaWa-cho, Tokyo, Japan, and Akio Nanba, 14 of 119 Minezawa-machi,Yokohama, Japan Filed Oct. 5, 1964, Ser. No. 401,350 9 Claims. (Cl.101378) The present'invention relates to printing and more particularlyto the attachment of lead printing .plates to printing rollers andparticularly to the operation of the movable lead plate retaining pawlsand the mechanism for operating the pawls.

Heretofore various means have been used for securing the lead printingplates to the rotary printing rollers, but none have been entirelysatisfactory because of the inequality of the forces applied by theretaining pawls and the mechanism for adjusting the pawls has beendifficult to manipulate so that failure occurred with resultant loss intime and production and frequently in damage to the plate.

An object of the present invention is to provide a printing roller withmeans to retain the printing plates in fixed position during theprinting operation and which provides for readily removing and replacingthe plates as required.

Another object of the invention is to provide indicating means to showthe condition of the lead plate retaining pawls so that the attendantcan determine the condition of the attachment of the lead plate withoutdelay.

Another object of the invention is to provide means to remove the leadplates from the same operating shaft which operates the pawls forretaining the printing plates.

Other and further objects will be apparent as the description proceedsand upon reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal view of a major portion of a printing rollwith some parts in section and showing the movable and fixed pawls forretaining the lead plates and also showing the means for moving the leadplates away from the roller.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged axial section taken on line 2-2 of FIGURE 1through the pawl operating shaft and showing the accentrices, bearingsand helical gear on the shaft and showing a portion of the segmentalgear in mesh with the helical gear.

FIGURE 3 is a radial section taken on line 3-3 of FIGURE 2 showing themeshing of the segmental gears with the cooperating helical gears foroperating the pawl operating lined shaft.

FIGURE 4 is a radial section taken on line 4-4 of FIGURE 1 showing thelock keys for retaining the segmental gears in position and also showingthe removable levers for operating the segmental gears.

FIGURES 5 and 5A are enlarged vertical sections taken along line 55 ofFIGURES l and 2, showing the movable pawls in projected and retractedpositions, respectively.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary cross-section taken on broken line 66 throughthe pawl operating shaft and the L-shaped levers providing the pawlstructure.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary section taken on line 77, showing the stop andthe spring pressed cartridge arrangement for taking the reaction of theother arm of the L-shaped pawl lever.

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged vertical radial section taken along the line 8-8of FIGURES 1 and 2, showing one of the lead plate-releasing arms inoperative plate-releasing position.

United States Patent O ice FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary axial section takenon line 99 of FIGURE 4 with the assumption that the showing is rotatedto place with the operating lever in a vertical upright position.

FIGURE 10 is an enlarged vertical section, taken on line 10-10 ofFIGURES 1 and 2, showing the bearing arrangement for the pawl operatedshaft and the fastening bolts for securing the parts in assembledrelation.

FIGURE 11 is an enlarged vertical section, similar to FIGURE 5, showinga modified leaf-spring construction for the other arm of the L-shapedpawl lever.

Briefly, the present invention provides a pair of pawl operating shaftsin diametrically opposed channels in a printing roller with eccentricson the shafts providing bearings for L-shaped pawl levers of which onearm forms the movable pawl for retaining the lead plate and the otherarm reacts against a stop or a spring to provide an even pressure toretain the lead plate and segmental gear means are mounted on the rollerand movable in limited arcuate paths to cooperate with helical gears onthe pawl operating shafts to operate the pawl in a desired manner.Suitable latching means are provided to retain the pawl operating shaftsin operative or inoperative positions with the movement being controlledby removable levers which levers can only be removed in the limitpositions. The same pawl operating shafts also provide for positivelyreleasing the lead plates.

A printing roller 12 carries a plurality of lead printing plates 13, 14and 15 with the axial length of the lead plates being approximatelyone-quarter of the length of the plate cylinder and the width of thelead plate approximately half the circumference of the roller. Theroller is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed axiallyextending channels 16 and 17 and in each channel a pawl operating shaft18 is mounted for rotary movement and such shaft each carries splinegrooves 19 at one end with screw threads 19, 19' adjacent each end ofthe splines. The shaft 18 carries a plurality of eccentrics 20, 21, 22and pivotally mounted on each eccentric is an L-shaped lever with theapex of the L-shaped lever serving as the strap 76 around the eccentricand such L-shaped lever provides the movable pawls 23 to 30, inclusive.

Bearings are formed by the members 31 to 35, inclusive, as shown inFIGURE 10 where the member 32 is secured in position in the channel bybolts 32A, 32B and such bearing part cooperates with hearing member 32Cwhich is held in roper adjusted position by the shim or spacer 38,thereby providing for accurate location of the shaft 18 with suitablebearing metal 41 surrounding the journal of the shaft in a well-knownmanner.

A flanged bushing 43 is threaded onto screw threads 19' and abutsagainst a side surface of a helical gear 44 splined onto the splines 19,while a washer 45 engages the other surface of the helical gear 44 andis held in position by the lock nut 46 threaded onto the screw threads19", with the pitch of the thread 19 being different from that of thethread 19'. The flanged bushing 43 is provided with a radial aperture 47for receiving a tool such as a spanner wrench or the like and anaperture 48 is provided in the segmental gear 59 to provide access tothe lock nut 46 so that the proper position of the helical gear 44 canbe obtained.

As seen in FIGURES 1, 7, 10 and 11, fixed pawls 49 to 56 are provided onthe surface of the roller 12, being secured thereto by screws 49A, asshown in FIGURE 10, and such fixed pawls are mounted on a suitable barwhich is received in a portion of the channels 16 or 17, with the fixedpawls in one groove extending in theopposite direction from the movablepawls, as shown in FIGURES 5 and 6, so that the movable pawl engages onelead printing plate while the fixed pawl engages the other printingplate.

and the attendant therefore knows the roller is in nonprinting orinoperative condition.

It will be apparent that changes may be made in the actual constructionwithin the spirit of the invention as defined by the valid scope of theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A printing roller with mounting means for lead plates comprising aroller having stepped shaft portions and having diametrically opposedaxially extending channels in the periphery thereof, a pawl operatingshaft having eccentrics spaced therealong rotatably mounted in eachchannel, an L-shaped lever pivotally mounted about its apex on eacheccentric, one arm of each L-shaped lever serving as a pawl forconnection to one end of one lead plate and adapted to be projectedbeyond and retracted within the periphery of the roller, said pawloperating shaft being splined on one end, a helical gear splined on saidsplined end of said shaft, screw threads of different pitch adjacenteach end of the splined portion of said shaft, a flanged bushingthreaded on one of said screw threads, and a lock nut on the other ofsaid screw threads with means to adjust the flanged bushing and lock nutto vary the axial position of the helical gear, fixed pawls mounted onsaid roller adjacent the movable pawls and extending in the oppositedirection to secure the other end of another lead plate, a pair ofinternally toothed segmental gears mounted on the stepped shaft portionof said roller each cooperating with one helical gear whereby arcuatemovement of each segmental gear causes rotation of its associatedhelical gear and thereby operation of the pawls mounted on thecooperating pawl operating shaft, each segmental gear being providedwith an outwardly opening rabbet at each axial end, a retaining collarhaving a rib fitting into each rabbet and fixed to said roller retainingsaid segmental gears in operative relation, means to limit the movementof each segmental gear between pawl projected andpawl retractedpositions, an operating lever receivable in a radial aperture in eachsegmental gear, a lock key mounted in one shaft step of said roller andmovable into a recess in the cooperating bearing portion of itsassociated segmental gear, resilient means urging said lock key intosaid recess toprevent relative angular motion between said roller andsaid segmental gear, an indicating pin mounted in said segmental gearand pressed toward said lock key to indicate the pawl projectedposition, a retaining pin mounted in said gear segment for axialmovement and of a length to extend into the radial lever receivingaperture, and into a registrable recess in one retaining collar, andadapted to be received in a recess in the portion of the opera-tinglever received in the gear segment, said one retaining collar having asecond pin receiving recess with which said pin may register in anotherposition of said pawls, the other arm of each L-shaped lever extendingtoward the adjacent fixed pawls of the other lead plate, a follower onsaid other arm of each L-shaped lever, a stop limiting the movement ofeach follower on the other arms away from said stationary stop, a coilspring cartridge assembly reacting between said stationary stop and theother surface of said other arm of each pawl whereby rotation of saidpawl operating shaft will cause said L-shaped levers to move the pawlarms into projected or retracted position, a plurality of platereleasing arms pivotally mounted on said pawl operating shaft, a keybetween each releasing arm and said pawl operating shaft providing lostmotion in causing operation of said releasing arms, take up spring meansreacting between said releasing arms and said roller preventingvibration of said releasing arms in inoperative position thereof.

2. Equipment for retaining and removing one end of a lead plate for aprinting roller comprising a support having a channel therein, a pawloperating shaft having eccentrics spaced therealong rotatably mounted insaid channel, an L-shaped lever pivotally mounted about its apex on eacheccentric, one arm of' each L-shaped lever serving as a pawl forconnection to one end of a lead plate and adapted to be projected beyondand retracted within the support, the other arm of each L-shaped leverextending in a direction generally parallel to the surface of thesupport, a stop limiting the movement of said other arm away from saidsurface of the support, biasing means reacting between said support andsaid other arm to urge said other arm toward said stop whereby rotationof said pawl operating shaft will cause said L-shaped lever to move thepawl arm into projected or retracted position, a plurality of platereleasing arms pivotally mounted on said pawl operating shaft, a keybetween each releasing arm and said pawl operating shaft pro viding lostmotion for causing operation of said releasing arms, take up springmeans reacting between said releasing arms and said support preventingvibration of said releasing arms, and means to operate and retain saidpawl operating shaft for projection and retraction of said pawls andreleasing arms.

3. Equipment for retaining and removing one end of a lead plate for aprinting roller comprising a support having a channel therein, a pawloperating shaft having eccentrics spaced therealong rotatably mounted insaid channel, an L-shaped lever pivotally mounted about its apex on eacheccentric, one arm of each L-shaped lever serving as a pawl forconnection to one end of a lead plate and adapted to be projected beyondand retracted within the support, the other arm of each L-shaped leverextending in a direction generally parallel to the sur-v face of thesupport, a stop limiting the movement of said other arm away from saidsurface of the support, biasing means reacting between said support andsaid other arm to urge said other arm toward said stop whereby rotationof said pawl operating shaft will cause said L-shaped lever to move thepawl arm into projected or retracted position.

4. An operating structure for a movable segment mounted on a support formovement in opposite directions and to indicate in which position thesegment is located comprising a lever, said segment'being provided witha lever receiving aperture for removable reception of the lever, a keymovably mounted in the support for engagement in a slot in the segmentto fix the segment on the support, an indicating pin movably mounted onthe segment and projecting outwardly therefrom and spaced from saidlever receiving aperture to be observable when the lever is in the leverreceiving aperture, said indicating pin being engageable with themovable key to indicate the position of the key, a pin movabletransversely to the lever receiving aperture and with one end partiallyreceivable in the lever receiving aperture and the other end movableinto a registering recess in the support at the two limits of movementof the segment, said lever having a recess with closed wall portionsadapted to receive the said one end of the pin whereby the movablesegment may be moved to either limit of its movement and the operatinglever can be removed from the lever receiving aperture only when thesegment is moved to one of said limits of movement and the pin registerswith corresponding registrable recess in the support.

5. The combination with a roller having a shaft rotatably mountedtherein eccentric to the axis comprising means for operating the shaftfor accurate adjustment on the roller including, means to support theshaft for oscillata'ble movement, said shaft being splined at one endthereof, a helical gear splined on the spline-d end of said shaft, screwthreads adjacent each end of the splined portion of said shaft, aflanged bushing threaded on one of said screw threads, and a lock nut onthe other of said screw threads with means to adjust the flanged bushingand lock nut to vary the axial position of the helical gear, a segmentalgear mounted on said roller cooperating with said helical gear wherebyarcuate movement of the segmental gear causes rotation of its associatedhelical gear and thereby 7 7 operation of the shaft, means to limit themovement of said segmental gear, said segmental gear being provided witha radially extending lever receiving aperture, an operating lever forreception in the radial aperture in said segmental gear, a lock keymounted in said roller and movable into a recess in said segmental gear,resilient means urging said locking key into said recess to preventrelative angular motion between said roller and said segmental gear, anindicating pin mounted in said gear segment and pressed toward said lockkey to indicate the shaft position, a retaining pin mounted in saidsegmental gear for axial movement and of a length to extend into theradial lever receiving aperture, and into a registra-ble pin receivingrecess in said roller and adapted to be received into a recess in theportion of the operating lever received in the lever receiving aperturein the segmental gear, said roller having a secoond pin receiving recesswith which said pin may register at another position of said shaft andsegmental gear whereby said operating lever can be inserted and removedonly when said pin is in registry with one of said registering recesses.

6. The combination with a roller having a shaft rotatably mountedtherein eccentric to the axis comprising means for operating the shaftfor accurate adjustment on the roller including, means to support theshaft for oscillatable movement, said shaft being splined at one endthereof, a helical gear splined on the splined end of said shaft, screwthreads adjacent each end of the splined portion of said shaft, aflanged bushing threaded on one of said screw threads, and a lock nut onthe other of said screw threads with means to adjust the flanged bushingand lock nut to vary the axial position of the helical gear, a segmentalgear mounted on said roller cooperating with said helical gear wherebyarcuate movement of the segmental gear causes rotation of its associatedhelical gear and thereby operation of the shaft, means to limit themovement of said segmental gear, said segmental gear being provided witha radially extending leverreceiving aperture, an operating lever forreception in the radial aperture in said segmental gear, a lock keymounted in said roller and movable into airecess in said segmental gear,resilient means urging said locking key into said recess to preventrelative angular motion between said roller and said segmental gear, aretaining pin mounted in said segmental gear for axial movement and of alength to extend into the radial lever receiving aperture, and

'into a registerable pin receiving recess in said roller and adapted tobe received into a recess in the portion of the operating lever receivedin the lever receiving aper- V ture in the segmental gear, said rollerhaving a second pin receiving recess with which said pin may register atanother position of said shaft and segmental gear whereby said operatinglever can be inserted and removed only when said pin is in registry withone of said registering recesses.

7. A pawl construction comprising a support, a shaft mounted on saidsupport, an eccentric mounted on said shaft with the axis of theeccentric and the axis of the shaft 'being closely adjacent and lyingsubstantially within the circumference of the shaft, a lever having twoarms pivoted intermediate the ends of the arms on said eccentric, thefree end of one arm providing a pawl, a first stop means on the supportto limit the movement of the other arm in the pawl releasing direction,a second stop means on the support engageable with the other arm andyieldab-le force exerting means reacting through the other arm and thesecond stop means insthe direction of pawl engaging movement whereby thepawl is effectively released upon movement of the eccentric in the pawlreleasing movement and the pawl is yieldably forceably engaged when theeccentric is moved in pawl engaging direction to compensate forvariations.

8. The invention according to claim 7 in which the second stop meansincludes a spring mounted on said support providing the yieldable forceexerting means.

9. The invention according to claim 7 in which the second arm is a leafspring providing the yieldable force exerting means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS ROBERT E.PULFREY, Primary Examiner, V

EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, DAVID KLEIN, Examiners.

J. R FISHER, Assistant Examiner.

1. A PRINTING ROLLER WITH MOUNTING MEANS FOR LEAD PLATES COMPRISING AROLLER HAVING STEPPED SHAFT PORTIONS AND HAVING DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSEDAXIALLY EXTENDING CHANNELS IN THE PERIPHERY THEREOF, A PAWL OPERATINGSHAFT HAVING ECCENTRICS SPACED THEREALONG ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN EACHCHANNEL, AN L-SHAPED LEVER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED IN ITS APEX ON EACHECCENTRIC, ONE ARE OF EACH L-SHAPED LEVER SERVING AS A PAWL FORCONNECTION TO ONE END OF ONE LEAD PLATE AND ADAPTED TO BE PROJECTEDBEYOND AND RETRACTED WITHIN THE PERIPHERY OF THE ROLLER, SAID PAWLOPERATING SHAFT BEING PLINED ON ONE END, A HELICAL GEAR SPLINED ON SAIDSPLINED END OF SAID SHAFT, SCREW THREADS OF DIFFERENT PITCH ADJACENTEACH END OF THE SPLINED PORTION OF SAID SHAFT, A FLANGED BUSHINGTHREADED ON ONE OF SAID SCREW THREADS, AND A LOCK NUT ON THE OTHER OFSAID SCREW THREADS WITH MEANS TO ADJUST THE FLANGED BUSHING AND LOCK NUTTO VARY THE AXIAL POSITION OF THE HELICAL GEAR, FIXED PAWLS MOUNTED ONSAID ROLLER ADJACENT THE MOVABLE PAWLS AND EXTENDING IN THE OPPOSITEDIRECTION TO SECURE THE OTHER END OF ANOTHER PLATE, A PAIR OF INTERANLLYTOOTHED SEGMENTAL GEARS MOUNTED ON THE STEPPED SHAFT PORTION OF SAIDROLLER EACH COOPERATING WITH ONE HELICAL GEAR WHEREBY ARCUATE MOVEMENTOF EACH SEGMENTAL GEAR CAUSES ROTATION OF ITS ASSOCIATED HILICAL GEARAND THEREBY OPERATION OF THE PAWLS MOUNTED ON THE COOPERATING PAWLOPERATING SHAFT, EACH SEGMENTAL GEAR BEING PROVIDED WITH AN OUTWARDLYOPENING RABBIT AT EACH AXIAL END, A RETAINING COLLAR HAVING A RIBFITTING INTO EACH RABBET AND FIXED TO SAID ROLLER RETAINING SAIDSEGMENTAL GEARS IN OPERATIVE RELATION, MEANS TO LIMIT THE MOVEMENT OFEACH SEGMENTAL GEAR BETWEEN PAWL PROJECTED AND PAWL RETRACTED POSITIONS,AN OPERATING LEVER RECEIVABLE IN A RADIAL APERTURE IN EACH SEGMENTALGEAR, AND LOCK KEY MOUNTED IN ONE SHAFT STEP OF SAID ROLLER AND MOVABLEINTO A RECESS IN THE COOPERATING BEARING PORTION OF ITS ASSOCIATEDSEGMENTAL GEAR, RESILIENT MEANS URGING SAID LOCK KEY INTO SAID RECESS TOPREVENT RELATIVE ANGULAR MOTION BETWEEN SAID ROLLER AND SAID SEGMENTALGEAR, AN INDICATING PIN MOUNTED IN SAID SEGMENTAL GEAR AND PRESSEDTOWARD SAID LOCK KEY TO INIDCATE THE PAWL PROJECTION POSITION, ARETAINING PIN MOUNTED IN SAID GEAR SEGMENT FOR AXIAL MOVEMENT AND OF ALENGTH TO EXTEND INTO THE RADIAL LEVER RECEIVING APERTURE, AND INTO AREGISTRABLE RECESS IN ONE RETAINING COLLAR, AND ADAPTED TO BE RECEIVEDIN A RECESS IN THE PORTION OF THE OPERATING LEVER RECEIVED IN THE GEARSEGMENT, SAID ONE RETAINING COLLAR HAVING A SECOND PIN RECEIVING RECESSWITH WHICH SAID PIN MAY REGISTER IN ANOTHER POSITION OF SAID PAWLS, THEOTHER ARM OF EACH L-SHAPED LEVER EXTENDING TOWARD THE ADJACENT FIXEDPAWLS OF THE OTHER LEAD PLATE, A FOLLOWER ON SAID OTHER ARM OF EACHL-SHAPED LEVER, A STOP LIMITING THE MOVEMENT OF EACH FOLLOWER ON THEOTHER ARMS AWAY FROM SAID STATIONARY STOP, A COIL SPRING CARTRIDGEASSEMBLY REACTING BETWEEN SAID STATIONARY STOP AND THE OTHER SURFACE OFSAID OTHER ARM OF EACH PAWL WHEREBY ROTATION OF SAID PAWL OPERATINGSHAFT WILL CAUSE SAID L-SHAPED LEVERS TO MOVE THE PAWL ARMS INTOPROJECTED OR RETRACTED POSITION, A PLURALITY OF PLATE RELEASING ARMSPIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID PAWL OPERATING SHAFT, A KEY BETWEEN EACHRELEASING ARM AND SAID PAWL OPERATING SHAFT PROVIDING LOST MOTION INCAUSING OPERATION OF SAID RELEASING ARMS, TAKE UP SPRING MEANS REACTINGBETWEEN SAID RELEASING ARMS AND SAID ROLLER PREVENTING VIBRATION OF SAIDRELEASING ARMS IN INOPERATIVE POSITION THEREOF.